The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for inserting a spacer between two packs of cigarettes. The dual packs having a spacer therebetween can then be banded together. This invention is particularly useful with the non-traditional reduced circumference cigarettes, which are often called "slim", "slims", "super slim", or "super slims" cigarettes (hereinafter all referred to as "slim cigarettes"), wherein the packs of twenty smaller circumference cigarettes are not as thick as a standard pack of twenty cigarettes. By inserting a spacer between two packs of the slim cigarettes and banding the two packs together, the slim cigarettes packs can be inserted into cartons having the same thickness as those used for packaging the standard sized cigarette packs. This permits the same cartoning and casing machines to be used in manufacturing standard sized cigarettes, as well as those cigarettes having a reduced circumference.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Since starting to manufacture and market reduced circumference cigarette products, the tobacco industry has developed ways to package the reduced circumference cigarettes utilizing the same dimensioned cartons and cases used for standard sized cigarettes. For example, with the "CAPRI" brand cigarette product, the Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation utilizes three spacers in a carton. One spacer is inserted between two five pack parallel row of cigarette packages and the other two are inserted on opposite sides of the carton between the packs and the inner walls of the carton. The three spacers are sized s that the thickness of two packs of "CAPRI" brand cigarettes and the three spacers approximate the thickness of two standard cigarette packs. By notching the spacers, the carton for the "CAPRI" brand product is designed to permit easy removal of each pack of cigarettes. In contrast, the present invention inserts one spacer between two packs and bands the packs together, therefore, being designed to use standard cartons for slim cigarettes which are packaged to sell in packs of two.
The prior art teaches, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,939,500 a cigarette packaging machine for inserting a card or picture between two rows of cigarettes before the cigarettes are put in a pack.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 2,456,059 teaches a machine for banding two cartons together. The machine includes a first set of conveyor belts including a lower belt conveyor and an upper belt conveyor with guide plates located adjacent the opposite sides of the space between the two belt conveyors, and a second set of conveyor belt including a lower belt conveyor and an upper belt conveyor in end-to-end alignment with the first set of conveyor belts. A band applicator is positioned between the first set of conveyor belts and the second set of conveyor belts.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,125,840 teaches a brick packaging apparatus for placing separators between adjacent bricks which are to be secured together in groups; U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,777 teaches a machine for grouping articles together and packaging then with shrink wrap; U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,020 teaches an apparatus for inserting a spacer panel between adjacent articles such as cigarette packages by means of a pair of movable spring loaded fingers which contact the tip sides of adjacent cigarette packages and tips them away from each other so that a spacer can drop by gravity downwardly for between the fingers into the space between adjacent cigarette packages; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,744 teaches an apparatus for re-orienting cigarette packages as that sealing strips or tax stamps can be placed on each package.